The System Page #4

What brings you to Clarkton?

Just flying back to

St. Louis from Chicago.

Thought I drop in, say hello.

Your plane make a forced landing?

How's Marty?

- Fine, fine.

Sends you his fraternal greetings.

Tell him it's time I think he pensioned

off that simple minded nephew

he's got running the Chicago wire loop.

I heard about that!

I sent him a $12,000 bet on

number 7 in the 5 at Fairgrounds.

He wires me back a confirmation,

"12 gs, number 7, the 5 at Hialeah".

Marty took care of it.

He put you in the right book.

Want a drink?

- Can't.

Living on these.

Alright, Ruben, you've taken your pause.

You've been reading these stories?

- I canceled my subscription.

Six to and even, nobody else in town did.

Marty thinks it might be a good

idea to have a meeting. - Why?

To talk this thing over,

see maybe what be could done.

Nothing can be done!

Freedom of the press.

This paper..

It had freedom of the press

for the past twenty years, no?

Same owner, same

publisher, same everything.

So why all of this sudden this burn?

This story here by this Jerry Allen,

"How thousands and

thousands of local dollars"

"flow out of the community

to the lay off syndicates in"

"Chicago and St. Louis

without no return to Clarkton."

It's bad, Johnny.

You got a big handle here.

You got to protect it.

Something like this starts and

no telling where it could wind up.

I can run my own town.

I don't need any outside help.

Unless it's necessary.

I'm only here to offer

advice and some suggestions.

Yeah?

The guy who owns this paper,

this freedom of the press, Stuart.

You got him down on you

because of account of sometimes

you can be a very stubborn citizen.

I'm listening.

Marty has a suggestion.

Stop seeing the dame.

Goodbye, Ruben.

Take the heat off, Merrick!

Now you get this straight!

For twenty years Chicago, St. Louis,

Kansas City and New York!

I run my own business and my own life!

Nobody tells Johnny Merrick

how, why, when or where!

Not you, Marty or Marty's idiot nephew!

Marty is my brother.

His idiot nephew is also my idiot nephew.

Now your game has really improved.

Doing very much better.

A couple of weeks, you'll break a 130.

The usual, Mr. Merrick?

- Yes, thank you, [?].

Thank you.

That was my husband's.

It was left behind when they..

when he went away.

Yes, I've noticed it before.

I noticed you noticed it.

Isn't that a little bulky for a girl?

Is it so difficult for you

to think that I was married once?

I'll hate it till the day I die.

Robert!

Yes, Miss Stuart? - You do smoke,

don't you? - Yes, Ms. Stuart.

Then you'll be able to use this.

- Oh, thank you, Miss Stuart. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Stuart.

Hello, Felice, Johnny.

- Hi! - Hello, Walter.

Would you mind terribly, Felice,

if I took Johnny away for a minute?

The Board of Governors are having

a special meeting in the trophy room.

They'd uh.. like your advice.

Go right ahead.

- Thank you. Excuse me.

And Johnny!

- Yeah?

I'll be waiting here for you.

Come in, Johnny, glad to see you!

Governor's meeting, you know

cigars are traditional. - No, thank you.

What's the trouble?

- Sit down, sit down.

I have a lady waiting for me.

Oh, yes, yes.. Well, we only want

a minute of your time. - Take two.

We know that you've always had

the best interest of the club at heart.

$25,000 worth of the best

interest in the new golf house.

Yes. Most generous of you

and we were not unappreciative.

Alright, Dunlop, get into the stretch.

Yes, yes, well..

as District Attorney of Clarkton,

I received a communication

late last night.

It was from Senator Ketteridge.

Ketteridge is head of

the Crime Investigating Committee

of the state legislature.

The committee will arrive

at Clarkton this afternoon to start

a formal investigation

of organized gambling and vice.

You are to be uh..

called among the first witnesses.

I warned you not to light that fuse.

Excuse me, I..

Anything else, gentlemen?

Is there any chance of

you're being uh.. well uh..

deeply involved?

Nice of you fellows to worry about me.

It's real friendly. - Well, we..

We are also worried about

the reputation of the club.

Want me to resign? - Well,

we thought that we asked you to uh..

to search your mind, Johnny,

and if you felt that there

is a possibility of any uh..

unpleasantness for the club, you..

you might consider resigning

before the investigation starts.

Look, Dunlop, you've been

the District Attorney here for 12 years.

If I'm suddenly..

an undesirable or a criminal..

Why haven't you done

something about it before this?

Oh, now, now, now, please,

please be reasonable. We're only

thinking of the good of the club.

Like when you took

the $25,000 for the new golf house?

Nobody asked me where

the money came from, did they?

I'm not resigning.

Out of gas?

- Out of patience.

Since we've left the club,

mileage:
17.6. Wordage: none.

Well, that's what I'm having

trouble with Felice: words.

I can't seem to find

the ones I have to use.

Big words or little ones?

- They're little words.

But a big problem.

Maybe if you tell me what you're trying

to say, I can help you find the words.

Alright.

How do you say,

"It's been nice knowing you, Ms. Stuart,

but drop me at the next bus station"?

Your bus fare.

Look, honey..

A senate investigating

committee is coming to town.

They're going to investigate

organized gambling in Clarkton

on account of Jerry Allen's

articles in the papers.

I tell you there's going be trouble.

You said it yourself, you don't

mind a certain amount of trouble.

For myself, no!

You'll handle it, Johnny.

You've handled tougher situations.

They'll want to know

who my friends and why.

I can't go the distance

if I have to carry you.

They'll want to know about..

- I'm not running, Johnny!

My deadpan friend, I'm not running.

I was just about to call

Missing Persons about you.

How was your game?

Stay away from that Clarkton country club,

they got a fixed golf course.

Any calls?

- Tell him.

Ed Jelke, sheriff's office.

He called twice. Important.

He said he'd be here at five.

- With a plaster.

When he comes, Mr. Merrick?

Take it. - You're sure?

- Yes, take it.

Send Liggett in, will you please?

- Yes, Sir. - Thank you.

Mr. Liggett?

What are they after?

- Well, my best guess is..

I don't pay you $25,000 a year to guess!

I want advice.

Chief Counsel for the committee

is a man named David Wiley.

Who is he?

Oh, he's a young fellow from upstate.

Ambitious. Punches hard but he's honest.

Can't be reached?

Not until at least ten years older.

We can't wait that long.

Where are they going to hit first?

He's gonna subpoena your books,

your business records, tax returns.

Every transaction that

the Merrick Enterprise ever made.

He can't hurt you much locally

and he knows that.

But there is one very serious area.

Chicago and St. Louis?

- Precisely, that's his target.

He's going to hang you with

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